Lombardy Poplar Plant Profile

Lombardy poplars are fast-growing trees, growing as much as 6 feet per year. This makes them a popular choice when people want "living wall" privacy screens or windbreaks in a hurry. Lombardy poplar trees are best known for their columnar form and unusual branching structure. Their branches start close to the ground and parallel to the trunk. Their fall foliage is a yellow color, but they are not primarily grown for their autumn display value. The bark turns black and develops furrows as the tree ages. In past times, Lombardy poplars were used for visual interest and to line golf courses. George Washington planted them at Mount Vernon in hopes of having a fast-growing forest.

Botanical Name: Populus nigra 'Italica'

Common Name: The cultivar is called "Lombardy poplar," the species plant "black poplar."

Mature Size: 40 to 50 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide for the Italica cultivar; species plant can become much bigger

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Soil Type: Sandy to loamy

Soil pH: Neutral to alkaline

Bloom Time: Spring

Flower Color: Red

Hardiness Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Native Area: Lombardy region of Northern Italy

How to Grow Lombardy Poplar

Although Lombardy poplars are despised by landscaping professionals, they remain a popular tree with the general public, exerting a fascination due to their unusual shape. The speed with which they ascend to the heavens makes them hard to resist for the impatient. However, Italica Lombardy poplars should be considered only as a stop-gap measure for privacy screens and windbreaks, as they are short-lived, often succumbing within 15 years to a number of pests and diseases (the species plant can live longer).

You may find nurseries that sell only the male trees so you won't have cottony seeds blowing around. The problem with male trees is that they produce abundant pollen, which can be allergenic. As this tree has shallow, spreading roots, you should plant it away from pipes, septic tanks, lawns, gardens, sidewalks, streets, and foundations.

Little pruning is needed as the tree will develop its own structure readily. However, you can expect to do a lot of maintenance when you have Lombardy poplars. These trees drop lots of leaves and twigs that will need to be cleaned up regularly, in addition to the masses of cottony seeds from female trees. The wood itself is weak and you can expect frequent limb breakage. You have to be careful when working around the trees because the bark is thin and easily damaged.

Light

Grow Lombardy poplars in full sun.

Soil

Lombardy poplars will do well in soil that is sandy, loamy, or very loamy. It should be well-drained.

Water

This tree has medium water needs.

Temperature and Humidity

The Lombardy poplar can be grown in a wide variety of temperate climates, including those where the winter low is far below zero. In hot and humid climates, this tree is even more susceptible to Cytospora canker.

Planting a Privacy Screen

To serve as a privacy screen, Lombardy poplars are planted in a row and spaced about 8 feet apart. Follow this strategy to employ for a privacy planting that makes use of their fast growth rate while compensating for their tendency to decline rapidly:

Then plant a temporary row of Lombardy poplars behind them (so as not to deprive the longer-lived plants of sunlight). The Lombardy poplars will soon be giving your outdoor space some privacy, while you wait for the longer-lived plants to reach maturity.

To minimize the spread of the Lombardy poplars' roots, dig a planting trench for them and line its sides with a 40-millimeter, high-impact polyurethane barrier (as you would do to contain a running bamboo).

Before the Lombardy poplar trees begin to deteriorate (and before their root systems become too well established), remove them, letting the longer-lived plants take over the job of screening out prying eyes.

Pests and Diseases

These trees are susceptible to borers, Cytospora canker, and bacterial wet wood, reducing their lifespan. Almost all of these trees develop stem canker disease by the time they are 15 years old. Long before they die, they may be disfigured by these pests and diseases, rendering them unattractive as landscape plants and necessitating their removal. A similar tree, the upright European aspen (Populus tremula "Erecta"), is said to be more disease-resistant.

Removal

When it is time to remove Lombardy poplars, be thorough in removing as much of the root system as possible. Lombardy poplars send out suckers throughout their lives, even from their stumps after they have been cut down. Some hire pros with stump grinders to help get rid of them, but if you have planted a long row of Lombardy poplars, this can run into quite a bit of money (and it still does not remove the root system).